


Forget Me Not

by Lesca Fenix (lescafenix)



Category: Final Fantasy XIII
Genre: F/F, F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-05-12
Updated: 2011-05-12
Packaged: 2017-10-19 08:03:26
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,260
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/198684
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lescafenix/pseuds/Lesca%20Fenix
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Snow and Fang share the watch and their thoughts on the ones they cherish most. As Fang opens up about what Vanille truly means to her, Snow discovers there is much more to both Fang and Vanille--and their relationship--than what everyone sees.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Forget Me Not

**Author's Note:**

  * For [skybluecassowary](https://archiveofourown.org/users/skybluecassowary/gifts).



The plains of Gran Pulse were a stark contrast to the quiet hum of the _Lindblum_ \--the last time Snow had been alone with Fang. Animals and fiends screeched in the distance, some too close for comfort. Snow sat on a boulder near camp, gazing through Serah's crystal up at Cocoon. The planet looked like it was melting, as though it would eventually slide into nothingness if given enough time. He'd been there, not long ago, and on the surface everything seemed normal. It was disturbing how different things could look from a distance. He looked at the crystal again. "Serah," he sighed.

Snow was so deep in his own thoughts that he hadn't noticed Fang's approaching footsteps, and he startled slightly when she spoke up. "Need a minute?"

"No, you're fine," Snow said, without turning around. "She finally asleep?"

"Yeah. I told you, no sweat," Fang said, hefting herself up onto the rock next to Snow. "Some things never change, I guess. Tickle your fingers on her back for fifteen minutes, and boom." She laughed a little.

"You know, I don't know what it takes to get Serah to sleep," Snow mused. "We've never slept together."

"Ah, don't be so morose about that," Fang said, nudging Snow's shoulder with her own. "From the way you talked about her on the _Lindblum_ , sounds like she's the type who'd go to sleep all on her own, like a good girl."

Snow laughed, despite himself. "Yeah, probably." He turned the stone over in his gloved hand. "I hope she's sleeping well now."

"I'm sure she is," Fang said. "Best sleep I ever got, when I was crystal. Vanille, I don't know. She's never been a real good sleeper. Gets all restless and edgy."

"You know, that's more than you said about her the entire time we talked on the ship." Snow said with a chuckle. It was nice to be companionable with Fang, instead of arguing with her. Once they'd reached an understanding about their goals, it hadn't been too hard. After all, they both had the same outcome in mind: find and save the person who meant the most to them in the entire universe.

"You never gave me a chance to get a word in edgewise!" Fang protested, then began to recite as though from rote memorization. "But I know Serah's favorite color, and about the new gloves she got you for your birthday, and that she's scared of spiders. You've gained twenty pounds since you started dating from her good cooking, and she keeps trying to get you to buy some new clothes, but you keep putting her off because you hate trying things on. She's in college now, but she hates being stuck in a classroom. She wants to go out and make a difference in the world. She wants to get married on the beach, and she wants to have two children, a boy and a girl. And she'd make an excellent mother." Fang said the last two words in a sing-song voice. "I could even tell you her birthday and your anniversary, in case you forget in the future."

"Okay, okay, point taken." Snow felt his face grow hot, and he scratched the back of his neck. "I talked that much? Why didn't you shut me up?"

"Because you were bleeding all over the place. Emotionally, anyhow. Back when I was a kid, when someone was real sick, that's how we healed them. We bled 'em out, until whatever was killing 'em was gone. Figured I'd do the same for you. Worked like a charm."

"Oh." Snow rubbed his thumb over the crystal. "Thanks for listening," he then said quietly. Fang made a dismissive sound and shrugged.

After a moment's awkward silence, Snow couldn't stand it and kept talking. "I just don't want anyone to forget her. I don't want people to think she's just this crystal... thing. A statue. She's a real person, damn it! She's real!" he felt his throat tighten, and he scrubbed the heel of his hand over his eyes.

Fang looked over at Snow. "You know what I think? I think _you_ don't want to forget her," she said.

Snow stiffened and squared himself to Fang. "I could never forget her! What are you talking about?"

"No matter how much you love someone, time dulls your memories. If you don't see them for a long time, you might forget their eyes are the color of that certain kind of jade, or that they love to chase fireflies," Fang's voice grew quiet. "You don't remember that they smell like clover blossoms and honey and that you practically had to bolt shoes on them as a kid because they'd never keep them on then come crying to you later after stepping on thorns. It never occurs to you that the reason you don't laugh is because they were the one that made you see how funny and strange life really was. You might think you lost your innocence when everything you knew as a child was taken from you, obliterated by selfish and greedy fal'Cie... when really, you lost your innocence when you lost her." Snow followed Fang's gaze over her shoulder to where Vanille lay huddled beneath a blanket, nearly curled into a ball.

Snow found himself at a loss for words, surprised to hear such a confession from Fang. "But you found her now," he managed.

"For now," Fang echoed, returning her attention to the constantly rustling brush. "If she goes Cie'th, I'll have lost her for good."

"I guess I just didn't realize you were like... that," Snow said, as he refocused on the watch as well.

"Like... what?" Fang asked, arching an eyebrow.

"Well, the only thing you said about her on the _Lindblum_ was, 'She saved my life.' I thought you just owed her," Snow said with a small shrug.

"Oh, I do," Fang replied, venturing one last glance back to the sleeping girl. "I owe her more than even she'll ever know. That's why I have to finish this. I have to figure out this Focus and fulfill it. If I ever forgot her like that," Fang shook her head and sighed. "I might as well just become a Cie'th. If I forget her, it won't be long until I forget myself. Everything I've done in my life that I value is because of her," Fang said. "When I had a dream, she offered her life to make it come true. I'd do the same for her until I had nothing more to give."

"I don't think either of your dreams involve the other dying," Snow said, resting his hand on Fang's forearm. "That's not much of a dream."

Fang yanked her arm away from Snow. "My dreams are none of your damn business," she snapped. "I've said too much already."

"All right, no more talking," Snow said, holding up his hands in defeat. "I'm going to walk the perimeter." He cracked his knuckles and hopped off the stone.

"I'll watch the camp," Fang said as she took up her staff and stood as well. As Snow turned to leave, Fang spoke up again. "Hey, Snow."

"Yeah?"

"What's your dream?"

Snow chuckled. "It's real simple. I just want to be together with Serah. Forever. As long as she's by my side, no matter what's become of us, then all of my dreams have come true."

Fang gave a little smile--the most genuine smile Snow had seen from her--and a slight nod. "Good enough for me."


End file.
